Cycling teachers at Notre Dame School on course to raise funds for Mary’s Meals

A team of cycling mad teachers from Notre Dame High School is set to raise thousands of pounds for charity on a cycle ride to Paris.

Next month the teachers will make their way from the school in Glasgow’s West End to Notre Dame Cathedral in the French capital to help raise money for Mary’s Meals and Malawi Leaders of Learning.

Destination: The teachers will end their journey at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

One of the team visited Malawi in October 2015 and spent time teaching young people and experiencing first hand the excellent work carried out by Mary’s Meals and the positive impact it has.

This inspired the group to dig out their bikes and oil their chains in preparation for a 700 mile trek over 13 days.

The team is on course to exceed its target of raising £3000 for the aid charity. A Just Giving page has been set up to gather funds.

Teacher Patrick Hegarty said: “This challenge came about because we as a group of teachers feel strongly about how education can empower young people, and although its something we often take for granted here in Scotland, it’s a privilege for many in the developing world.

“Unfortunately in these countries tens of millions of young people are never enrolled in school but are instead out working from a very young age, however Mary’s Meals is doing their best to get these children enrolled by providing one square meal a day in the classroom for each of them.

“So after one of our team visited a school in Malawi in September 2015 and saw first hand the direct impact of the charity’s endeavours and the positive effect it has on the lives of so many young people we decided we had to do our bit to help them.

“We started planning the challenge over a year ago, and over the last four months or so we’ve been out on our bikes every chance we get.”

Patrick added: “We’re ready – both physically and mentally, for what will undoubtedly be the toughest challenge any of us have ever taken part in… but it’s all for a great cause.

“We’re genuinely overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity and support so far, and we now can’t wait to get going.”

Mary’s Meals is an international movement that sets up school feeding projects in communities where poverty and hunger prevent children from gaining an education.

The charity now feeds 1,101,000 children every school day and it costs just £12.20 / €14.50 / $19.50 to feed a child for a year.